Meta Prepares AI-Free Feed Option for EU Users Ahead of DSA Deadline
Meta confirms it will offer Facebook and Instagram users in the European Union a way to turn off AI-driven content personalization. This change comes just before the August 25 deadline to comply with the Digital Services Act.
Meta announces that Facebook and Instagram users in the European Union will soon have the option to disable AI-driven content feeds. This change arrives just ahead of the August 25 deadline for compliance with the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA). The regulation requires very large online platforms to give users a choice to opt out of algorithmic profiling and content selection.
The new setting allows European users to view Stories and Reels only from accounts they follow, sorted in chronological order rather than by AI recommendations. Additionally, users will see search results based strictly on their typed queries instead of their past activity and personal interests. The EU mandates this option because AI-driven feeds potentially limit user autonomy, create filter bubbles, and increase the risk of addiction or automated manipulation.
Meta's president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, frames the update positively as just another way for users to view and discover content. While the exact rollout time remains unclear, the feature will go live before Friday to help the company avoid steep penalties. Non-compliance with the DSA results in fines of up to six percent of a company's global annual turnover.